Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The invention refers to a ventilator.
Ventilators are used to either ventilate patients who have breathing difficulties or a loss of lung function, or they are used as gas mixing devices to condition the air inhaled by a patient. They therefore have ventilator gas connections, valves, controls for the valves and pressurised gas connections, to create gas pressure to inject air into the ventilating tubes or patient""s lungs.
In operation the pressurised gas connections are often connected to a compressed air system, where the compressed air in the device operates a pneumatic pump, which transports the ventilator gases. However, the ventilator gases can be injected under pressure through the actual ventilator gas connections, meaning that the pressure required for ventilation is provided by the ventilator gases themselves. Ventilators do exist which can be attached to a compressor, which creates the necessary ventilator gas pressure when in operation and injects this into the ventilator.
Conventional ventilators therefore consist of a housing unit, which contains the gas supply container, valves, controls and possibly batteries as emergency power supply for the electrical valve controls as well. The housing also contains the ventilator gas connections and connections for the ventilating tubes mentioned above. The connections are connected to the valves and the gas supply container via tubes inside the device. As these tubes take up a certain amount of constructional volume and adequate space must be available to fit these tubes, conventional ventilators must be of a certain size.
The invention aims to reduce the constructional size of a ventilator. This task is solved by the distinctive features. The first step of the invention is to replace the tubes with rigid pipes. The second step of the invention is to integrate the tubes with the gas supply container, thus forming a compact block of plastic or metal. The invention then foresees the consequent integration or flange-mounting of the necessary valves and gas connections in/on this block. This produces a very compact design for the device.
Further developments for the invention, which could in principle also be used independently of the inventive concepts above, include the following particular points:
The integration of a compressor in the housing, where the compressor""s pressure output could be connected to the block via a tube to allow vibration-free coupling of pressure between the compressor and the block.
Heated gas feeds, by using the heat generated by the compressor""s activity to prevent the undesirable formation of condensation in the ventilator gas.
To achieve complete electrical self-sufficiency, where all electrically operated parts, which also includes the compressor, can be supplied with power from an internal battery. This battery should ideally be the main source of energy and should only be given a constant mains boost or charge via a charger where a mains feed is available. With this invention, disconnecting from the mains supply will not therefore interrupt ventilation in any way. This also dispenses with the need to connect a compressed gas supply by means of a gas bottle, which was an essential accompaniment previously. This makes it easier to transport a patient who is on a ventilator, as the ventilator can be simply disconnected from the mains and moved with the patient.
An integrated charger for the integrated battery with a preferred design, with which any AC mains voltages between 80 and 270 V can be fed without the operating staff having to make any settings on the power unit.
An integrated connector to connect the ventilator""s electrics or electronics with an external DC source, e.g. the on-board power supply of a motor vehicle.
A display, which is integrated in the housing, and a control panel. The preferred design for the latter is a push-and-turn knob, which permits single-handed selection of fields and buttons on the display. The electronics for this are programmed such that the selected fields appear highlighted in colour, thus making it easier and safer to use. The preferred design has additional keys, which are used to trigger instant control operations and program steps or settings.
Electrical interfaces in the housing, constituting a computer port (RS 232 interface), a nurse call, etc.
Sensors, either connected to or integrated in the block, which permit a patient""s breathing activities to be monitored and these values to be reproduced on the display. A software, parameterised by the sensors, also allows control of ventilation depending on the measured parameters.
Proximal flow sensors, which can be connected to detect the patient""s own attempts to breathe in the immediate proximity of the patient and deliver this to the electronics of the device.
A special, new and independently applicable software, which allows forced sigh ventilation to be set for any interval and any pressure and/or volume values. Sigh ventilation of this sort is a known feature, however state-of-the-art devices only allow this sort of ventilation to be carried out in an unspecific way. Hence sigh ventilation can be activated or deactivated in conventional devicesxe2x80x94for example, every hundredth breath is performed with 120% of the normal breath volume and the lungs of the patient are therefore overstretched a bit with every hundredth breath. It was previously believed that this was sufficient, as a comparable sigh breath frequency had been established for the average patient. The inventor has however discovered that the average sigh ventilation is not always ideal. This sort of ventilation may even be painful for a patient following a recent ribcage operation, for example. The way that this invention can be set means that personal consideration can be given to each patient""s requirements.